Record 8,000 kids enter in National Junior Olympic Championships

7/22/2012

BALTIMORE - 8,000 of America's next generation of track and field stars will take center stage at the 2012 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships July 23-29 in Baltimore, Md., at W.A.C. Hughes Stadium on the campus of Morgan State University.

The Junior Olympic Championships is set to be the largest showing of athletes the event has ever seen. The previous event participant record was 6,862 athletes in 2011. The top five individuals and five relay teams from each Regional Championship advanced to the National Championships with athletes generally falling between the ages of 7 and 18.

USATF will host an interactive booth located in Parking Lot M from July 23-29 at the Junior Olympics. Challenge your friends to a race, meet USATF athletes, and experience what USATF can do for you. Join or renew your USATF membership at the meet and you will receive a Free Member Gift.

Young athletes will get the chance to meet a few elite athletes. 2004 10,000m and marathon Olympian Dan Browne will be in attendance to sign autographs and participate in race starts. Browne, a 1997 graduate of West Point University and part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program, is the only cadet to ever run the mile under four minutes (3:59.37), and set school records in the 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m. Other elite athletes include James Carter, 2005 400m World Outdoor silver medalist, and Fawn Dorr, a 12-time NCAA champion at Penn State and a 2012 Canadian Olympian.

Junior Olympic Championship athletes and spectators will also have the opportunity to attend a free concert hosted by The United States Army Saturday, July 28. The concert will be held at Morgan State University’s Talmadge L. Hill Field House and will feature musical guest Anthony Hamilton. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Register for a free ticket (GO PASS) at WhatMakesYouStrong.com or visit the Strength In Action Zone at the meet. Seating is limited and on a first come, first serve basis.

A full listing of athletes competing along with live results and daily recaps can be found atwww.usatf.org.

A live webcast of the track events at the USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships will be available online. Daily and week-long subscriptions along with additional details are availablehere.